


Gentle Grace

by SassySnowperson (DramaticEntrance)



Series: February Ficlet Challenge [15]
Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Amilyn makes it a little better, Angst, Comfort, F/F, This is a hard time in the life of Leia Organa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-25
Updated: 2018-02-25
Packaged: 2019-03-23 16:25:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13791543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DramaticEntrance/pseuds/SassySnowperson
Summary: Written for theFebruary Ficlet Challenge, Day 15:Character has been away for a year.Leia’s eyes crinkled as she gave a genuine smile, her first in ages. “Amilyn. What a surprise! I haven’t seen you in...”“At least a year.” Amilyn Holdo’s gentle smile didn’t falter, but it grew a certain sadness. “I had to come when I...heard.”Leia flinched, smile gone as soon as it came. “Heard? That my son caused a massacre, or that my brother and husband abandoned me?”





	Gentle Grace

“Leia.” 

The voice was soft, like few things were in Leia’s life, these days. Leia looked up from the grim mathematics of war laid out on her datapad to find a stately pink-haired figure draped in in pale green. Leia’s eyes crinkled as she gave a genuine smile, her first in ages. “Amilyn. What a surprise! I haven’t seen you in...”

“At least a year.” Amilyn Holdo’s gentle smile didn’t falter, but it grew a certain sadness. “I had to come when I...heard.” 

Leia flinched, smile gone as soon as it came. “Heard? That my son caused a massacre, or that my brother and husband abandoned me?” 

Truth stated harshly was a powerful deterrent. It had proved effective against every other pitying well-wisher, letting Leia dodge awful sympathies and focus on the business. The business of war—impossible to focus on anything else, these days. 

Amilyn was not every other well-wisher. She crossed the room, taking Leia’s hands in hers. She gave a bow over them, elegant, like everything about her. “Yes. You’re holding everything together beautifully. Always the professional.” Amilyn tilted her head to the side. “General.” Her tone somehow contained warm affection and respect at the same time.

Leia wasn’t sure how she managed it, navigating around Leia’s pain in such a way that Leia managed to follow after. Leia pulled her into a hug. “Don’t start with titles now, Ami.” 

Amilyn laughed as she gave Leia an enthusiastic embrace. Leia found herself lingering, easy affection a luxury she hadn’t received in...too long. She didn’t have time for softness, these days. Except here and now, apparently, as Amilyn’s hold tightened, one hand rubbing gentle circles around Leia’s shoulders. 

Leia sighed, and let herself relax in to the hug, her eyes sliding shut. Amilyn’s hand travelled up, fingers tracing against Leia’s braids. She murmured, “My braiding traditions are rusty. This isn’t grief.” 

“No.” Leia pulled back out of the hug. “It’s a declaration of war.” 

“Alderaanians have braids for that?” Amilyn looked amused.

Leia arched one eyebrow. “It’s the closest I could get. Technically they’re the braids of ‘My husband has done something so catastrophically idiotic that I feel the need to call him out using my elaborate hairstyle.’” 

“I knew they looked familiar.” 

Leia and Amilyn exchanged a look. Leia’s mouth quirked upward, “You’ve benefited from those braids a number of times.” 

“I like to think we both benefited.” Amilyn leaned toward Leia slightly, palms up, an invitation. 

Amilyn had never taken, never demanded, never expected. She had negotiated her way into the fraught space of Leia and Han’s marriage with the same grace she used to negotiate everything else. Leia watched her, every step of the way, yet was still always surprised to find Amilyn there, right when she was needed most, offering. 

Leia wrapped her hand around Amilyn’s and started walking backward, toward the cot set up in her office. The war could do without her for one evening. 

**Author's Note:**

> What am I doing? [February Ficlet Challenge post here](https://starwarswritingalliance.tumblr.com/post/170236315539/february-ficlet-challenge). 
> 
> Want to see the posts daily as they go up? [I’m posting them on Tumblr first!](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/sassysnowperson)


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